


Beautiful Stranger

by tomoten



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: M/M, also alec's heart attacks are back at it again, ellie is here but only briefly, mentions of abuse, sorry ellie i love u, specifically as roland blum, that'd be wild huh, this oc def doesn't resemble michael sheen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23296651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomoten/pseuds/tomoten
Summary: “You’re quite rude, you know. We’re meant to be a team in this.”“Oh, we’rea team?”“Yes, a team.”“I don’t know you well enough to count us as a team.” Alec said, as Moss stepped in front of him, stopping him in place.“Get to know me, then.”
Relationships: Alec Hardy/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 26





	Beautiful Stranger

The first time Alec saw him, it was at the coffee cart in the courthouse.

He was leaning against the counter, chatting casually with the woman behind the cart, absentmindedly stirring a coffee that looked like it was more cream than actual coffee.

If Alec was being honest, which he often was, the guy  _ looked  _ like an arse.

He wore sunglasses indoors, and a three-piece suit that looked like it cost more than Alec’s entire wardrobe (not that that was much of an  _ accomplishment _ , or anything), and his shoes were polished and lacked any creases, so much so that Alec briefly contemplated how the man got into the building on a rainy day like this without so much as a hair out of place.

(His hair was bloody perfect, too, actually, tight curls that weren’t necessarily kept  _ tame _ , but still seemed to hold some semblance of an intended style)

“You need something, love?”

Alec was pulled from his thoughts by the arse himself, who was now grinning at him, and now that he had a decent look at his face, Alec couldn’t help but notice his perfectly groomed beard, and a smile that was--

“Quite alright?”

“Just wonderin’ when yer gonna move out the bloody way.” Alec had let the comment slip out without much thought. “...wanted to get a tea, is all.” The man seemed to chuckle at that, lifting his cup, and taking half a step back.

“All yours, dear.”

Alec stepped forward, and purchased a tea, the back of his neck warming up as he felt a gaze trailing up and down his backside. But he made no mention of it, instead grabbing his drink, and walking quickly-but-not-too-quickly away, back to the bench across the room where Ellie was waiting.

He sat, sipping his tea slowly, before noticing her expecting gaze on him.

“What?”

“I asked you to get me a coffee.”

“Oh.” He mumbled, sipping his tea again. “Right.” There was a beat, and then he pushed his half-drank tea into her hand. “You can have this.”

The next time it happened, Alec was standing on the pier, when his gaze landed on a familiar head of hair heading down the pier, a small wagon being pulled behind them.

Before he could even focus on the person, though, a small chihuahua ran up to him, barking, and circling his legs.

“Whoa--hey, c’mon now!” The man from before called out, jogging over to Alec, and scooping up the dog at his feet. “Sorry about her. She doesn’t normally like strangers that much.” He laughed, cradling the dog close to his chest, before his gaze actually landed on Alec’s face, his eyebrows raising from behind his sunglasses in recognition. “Oh. I saw you over at the courthouse the other day, yeah? You live around here?”

“...Yeah.” Alec nodded, and the man laughed.

“Right on. I’m--uh, Moss. Mostly I go by DM Moss around the courts.” He said, moving the dog into one arm as he held out a hand. “This is Cati, she--is a little troublemaker. The others aren’t like that, promise.”

“Alec Hardy…” Alec mumbled, shaking his hand. “Others?”

Moss furrowed his eyebrows at the name, seeming to remember something, “ _ DI _ Alec Hardy, I take it?” Alec hummed in confirmation, before Moss nodded slowly as he scratched at his jaw, “The dogs, they--” He gestured back to the wagon he had left, where a bulldog was sitting, happily panting. “Well, the others are--uh--” 

“You letting your dogs off leash?” Alec asked.

“You gonna  _ arrest  _ me for that, Hardy?” Moss teased, “No, no. They’re off with the dog walker. These two just don’t like going for long walks, so I try to take them out on their own time, with the wagon, so they can sit when they get tired. That one over there--bulldogs have the squished noses, so it’s hard for her to breathe after a long while, can’t keep up with the bigger ones, and this one--” He nodded toward the chihuahua in his arms. “Little legs, big attitude. Never works out for her.”

“Ah…” Alec trailed off, he wasn’t very good at conversations. “So, how many you got?”

“Five.” The other man hummed, turning around when the bulldog started barking loudly. Instead of responding, Moss made a gesture with his hand, which seemed to get the dog to quiet down. “Sorry, she’s--”

When Moss turned back to Alec, though, the detective was nowhere in sight.

“Oh, right, see you later, then.”

Some weeks went by, and Alec had all but forgotten the attractive man and his tailored suits and stupid sunglasses and curly hair, until he had to head back to the courthouse, this time, sans Miller.

He stood at the coffee cart, staring blankly at the board, as if the three items they served changed, ever.

They hadn’t.

“DI Hardy?”

Speak of the devil.

Alec pulled himself out of his thoughts when he heard his name, eyebrows raised when he locked eyes with DM Moss once again.

“I thought that was you--is it weird to say I recognized your backside? I--” Moss hesitated, putting his hands up in faux surrender. “Okay, no, that does sound just as strange as I thought it would--but in my defense, it’s quite memorable. Even in that suit. So…” He trailed off, pursing his lips together.

“What are you on about?”

“I was saying you have a nice arse.” Moss admitted, scrunching up his nose, the sunglasses on his face raising up, over his eyebrows for a moment as Alec’s face reddened.

“Oi, none of that.” Alec scolded, as Moss bounced on the balls of his feet.

“You got court today, yeah? Think I’m representing the crown for you.”

“You a barrister?” Alec blinked. Oh. That explained why he kept showing up at the courthouse, then. A solid moment of critical thinking would’ve told him that, though. “What happened to--uh, what’s-his-name?”

“Ah, Williams. Shame ‘bout him. Never saw that horse comin’, he did.” He said solemnly, shaking his head, before immediately perking up once again. “But no matter! I promise you’re in good hands.”

“Mm.” Alec hummed, not quite sure if he fully believed that remark, but he wasn’t about to entertain the thought long enough to finish the conversation. Instead, he stepped forward, opening up his wallet to purchase the tea he’d been idly staring at for 10 minutes.

“Aw, you’ve got yourself a dwt, have you?”

Alec jumped when he realized Moss was now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him, gesturing at the tiny photo of Pippa Gillespie he kept in his wallet.

“...I have a  _ daughter  _ if that’s what yer askin’,” Alec mumbled, pocketing his wallet quickly so Moss didn’t get a proper look at the photo. 

“You’re a real complex man, Hardy. Didn’t peg you for the sentimental type.” Moss hummed. “You married?”

“No.” He said, stepping forward, and tuning out Moss’s incessant question-asking list in favor of purchasing his drink. Why did that remind him of someone?

He almost skipped the drink entirely to bolt, when Moss took advantage of Alec’s slight fumbling when he realized he hadn’t actually taken any money  _ out  _ of his wallet, and slid his card across the counter to purchase his drink for him.

“--And I’m godfather to all of ‘em, cause I’m the only boy in my--oi,  _ Hardy _ . Your tea’s here.”

Alec blinked, as Moss held out a tea for him. “I was fine to-”

“I know, big boy, you are. C’mon. Courtroom’s this way,”

“Oh. Right.” He mumbled, shuffling after Moss, “Don’t ya need to be in robes?”

“I’ll be goin’ back to throw those on in a minute.” He mumbled. “Hate wearin’ them for longer than I have to. So stuffy and unflattering.”

Alec briefly noted that the suit Moss was wearing today was  _ very  _ flattering, so he understood the hesitance. But only briefly, then it was back to burning his tongue with fresh tea.

“I can imagine.” Alec finally mumbled, as Moss laughed, reaching up to take off his sunglasses, resting them in a pocket on the inside of his suit jacket.

He tried not to stare. Really, he did. But it took him a solid moment to decide whether Moss’s eyes were green or blue (he settled on ‘mossy green’ less for accuracy and more for his very clever thinking), but what had really gotten his attention was the scar just under Moss’s eye, that curved up the side of his nose.

Actually, now that he was looking, there was another, smaller scar on Moss’s lip, that slipped up onto his cupid’s bow, that could only be made out due to the fact that his mustache refused to grow in that spot, and it had appeared that Moss had trimmed his beard recently, given that last time he saw him, the hairs curled down over his lip just slightly, and now they seemed ever-so-slightly more well kept.

“Rude to stare, you know.” Moss teased him as he pursed his lips. “You see something you like?” as Alec was suddenly brought back to himself, turning red at the thought of being caught.

“We’re going to be late.” He huffed, suddenly rushing to the courtroom.

Moss was a good barrister. 

Alec wasn’t sure if he ever really doubted that, or if he just prayed he could find a flaw in this man that made him even slightly less attractive than he currently was.

But he even looked good in those bloody robes. Bastard.

It took two days for the case to be heard, and on the third day, the jury had declared the defendant guilty.

Moss slid next to Alec on his way out.

“You see that? Told you. Nothing to worry about.” 

“Didn’t get a unanimous jury vote.” Alec pointed out.

“Didn’t  _ need  _ one.” Moss bit back, his nose scrunching up as he laughed. “You’re quite rude, you know. We’re meant to be a team in this.”

“Oh, we’re  _ a team _ ?” 

“Yes, a team.”

“I don’t know you well enough to count us as a team.” Alec said, as Moss stepped in front of him, stopping him in place.

“Get to know me, then.”

“What?”

“Let’s go get a drink. I’ll buy.”

“I don’t really-”

“C’mon, celebrate with me.” He teased, bumping Alec’s hip with his briefcase. “We won. One drink at the pub. Just around the corner. Don’t even have to drive to get there.”

Alec wasn’t quite sure why he said yes, but an hour later, he found himself still parked at a small table in the corner of the pub. Both of their suit jackets had been removed, and Moss had rolled up his sleeves around fifteen minutes ago. Alec sat, holding his beer, and listening as a tipsy Moss gave him a detailed history of drag culture in the UK.

“So is that--you do that?” Alec asked. “The dressing up and performing--stuff.”

“Less now. I got…” He held his hands out, and Alec could make out just the faintest shaking in the dim light of the pub. “I was out skateboarding with my godchildren and I hit a curb and went flying. Recovery took so long I fell out of it with a bunch of hobbies. Now I think I might be too old for it.”

“Never too old if you like it.” Alec mumbled.

“Maybe, but between the pups and work, I don’t know if I’d have time. Not to really sink my teeth into it like I used to, anyways.” He shrugged, scooting his chair half an inch closer to Hardy’s side of the table. “Do you want another drink?”

“No.” Alec mumbled, staring at his empty bottle of beer.

“You’ve been hangin’ onto that for half an hour. You sure?”

“Not big on drinkin.” Alec commented.

“Did you want to go home?”

“No.” Alec said, a little too quickly.

“Here for the company, then?” Moss teased, batting his eyes.

“Don’t get smart, it doesn’t suit you.”

“Oh? Then what  _ does  _ suit me?”

Alec’s face started to warm up again.

“I don’t--I wouldn’t know.”

“Hmm,” Moss rested his chin on the palm of his hand, “What’s on your mind, then, Hardy?”

What was on his mind? Well, for starters, he found himself staring at Moss’s throat whenever the man took a sip from his beer, and he was agonizingly aware of every time Moss got excited during a story and placed his hand on Alec’s wrist or forearm, and how at one point this evening, Moss had reached over to brush Alec’s hair out of his eyes, and he was also aware of how sad he got whenever Moss pulled away from those subtle touches. 

But, well, he couldn’t say any of that.

“I was thinking--uh, what’s it stand for?” Moss tilted his head.

“What’s what stand for?”

“Your name.” Alec added, trying not to sound like he was piecing this together on the spot. “You said...people call you DM Moss. But what’s that--what’s it stand for?”

“ _ Oooohhh _ .” Moss laughed. “Okay. Promise you won’t make fun of me.”

“Oh, I can’t promise that. It might be really good.”

“Fair enough.” Moss sighed dramatically, leaning forward, up off his seat, until his forearms were resting on the table, and his face was mere inches from Alec’s. “DM stands for...Dewey Martyn.”

“That’s not so--” Alec hesitated, furrowing his eyebrows. “Wait-”

“No, don’t say it.”

“Your name is  _ Dewey Moss _ ?”

“Afraid so.”

Alec suddenly mentally revised his earlier ‘mossy green’ eye color statement to ‘dewey moss’ which he decided was both accurate and very, very funny.

“Now you know why I go by DM Moss at work!” He laughed, “Nobody’s going to take a barrister seriously when his name is Dewey Moss.”

“No, it…” Alec trailed off, studying Moss, no,  _ Dewey’s  _ face for a long moment, “It suits you.”

“Being a walking joke suits me?”

“I didn’t say  _ that _ , you did.” Alec pointed out. “Just--Dewey. It’s...not bad.”

“Well, that makes me feel leagues better.” Dewey said. He was sitting back in his seat now, but one of his arms was still on the table, his hand resting on Alec’s wrist. 

“My name isn’t much better.”

“Oh, but it’s so much fun. You could make so many jokes about being Hard….y.” 

“Piss off.” Alec laughed.

“Do you like Alec, then?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Dewey shifted in his seat, his knee pressing against the side of Alec’s thigh. “Well,  _ I  _ like Alec.”

Alec held his breath, eyes trained on Dewey’s hand, which was still resting on his wrist, and without even thinking about it, he ducked his head forward, leaning in a bit closer to Dewey, who did the same, only to stop them when they were inches apart.

“We should go to the bathroom.”

Alec nodded silently and allowed Dewey to take his hand, and lead him into the pub’s bathroom.

From then on, it just kept happening.

The courthouse bathroom, the back of Dewey’s car, a few times, they actually managed to get back to Dewey’s house (They had gone to Alec’s house a grand total of one time, when Dewey saw his bedroom, surrounded by windows, said, _‘what, are you into people watching?’_ and then Alec did not invite Dewey over anymore after that) 

It went wrong.

It had been awhile since they had last seen each other, and today there wasn’t exactly time for a grand reunion. At least not the kind Dewey would hint at in his late night texts.

Alec had felt off all day, but he attributed that to, well, everything about his lifestyle. From the lack of sleep to the stress of work, it all piled up.

He was back at the coffee cart when he felt a pinch, and rolled his eyes.

“Moss.” He mumbled, as Dewey grinned.

“Hello, handsome. I just got done for the day.” He hummed. “Coffee?”

“Mm. Don’t drink coffee.”

“Eugh.  _ Fine _ .” Dewey side-stepped in front of him, and bought them both their drinks, handing off Alec’s tea, and dumping as much cream and sugar as possible in his own cup of coffee before nodding for him to sit on a nearby bench with him. “How’s that case wrapping up?”

“It isn’t.” Alec sighed, “Every bloody time I get somewhere, we hit another blasted wall. It’s so bloody frustratin’, gettin’ stuck every step.”

“Hm.” Dewey took a long sip from his coffee, sticking his tongue out slightly as the drink burned his mouth. “Have you tried taking a weekend off and lettin’ your mind rest, so you can come back to it with a fresh set’a eyes?”

Alec shrunk in on himself.

“I don’t have time for that.” 

“I think you do.” He tsked, “I know you don’t know how to relax, though.”

“I know how to relax, I--”

“You can’t bullshit me.” Dewey pointed out. “How about this, I’ll show up at your place after work on Friday--so you best be home from work when I get there--and I’ll make us dinner.”

Alec stared for a long moment.

“Are ya askin’ me on a  _ date _ , Moss?”

“Is that not obvious,  _ Hardy _ ?” Dewey nudged him slightly, “Come on, then, I usually get done around six, I’ll have to stop home to feed the pups,  _ buuuuut  _ I should be at yours before seven. Sound good?”

“I don’t really get a choice in it, do I?”

“Atta boy.” Dewey teased, his hand falling to rest on Alec’s thigh.

“Oi, none of that here.” Alec mumbled, shooing his hand away. Dewey dropped his hand into his own lap, humming low as he took a long sip of his coffee. “What?”

“I was thinkin’ about how much I missed you.” Dewey mumbled.

“Missed me or missed  _ shaggin’  _ me.” Alec mumbled, as Dewey’s gaze shifted over to him.

“Why can’t it be both?”

“Piss off.” Alec said, ducking his head as he tried to hide the smile threatening to peek at the corner of his lips. Dewey reached out, fingers tilting Alec’s face up, toward him, and Alec briefly felt the urge to shut his eyes or burst into tears or something when he saw just how bloody soft Dewey’s features were.

“Come back to mine for a bit.” Dewey urged quietly, as Alec sighed.

“I can’t now, need to get back to the station, and  _ you’ve  _ just gotten me all booked up for Friday night.”

“Ah, I am a master of my own demise.” Dewey sighed. “At least let me walk you out, then.”

“Is this a trick?” Alec laughed. “Feels like one.”

“What? From me? Never.”

They hooked up in the back of Dewey’s car. Again.

Which would’ve been fine. Well, actually, the hooking up part was much more than fine, but then Alec had to head back to the station, so he climbed out of the backseat,

And immediately hit the pavement.

When he woke up some time later, he was already in the hospital, headache only worsened by the blinding lights of the room around him.

Shit.

Alec tried to pull himself up, only to become aware of two things:

  1. Dewey Moss was dozing off in the chair next to his bed
  2. Dewey Moss was dozing off _while holding his hand_.



Clearing his throat, Alec tugged on his hand gently. “Hey. Moss.”

Dewey stirred, and then sat upright, his grip on Alec’s hand tightening for just a moment, his features immediately relaxing when their eyes met.

“Christ, Alec.” He breathed, dropping his forehead to their joined hands, and letting out a heavy sigh.

“Don’t do that.” Alec mumbled, settling back against the sheets as Dewey pressed a kiss to Alec’s hand, and then held it to his own face. “You should go home.”

“No. No I shouldn’t. They said this happens a lot.”

“It’s not a-”

“It is, though.” Dewey huffed, “It’s a big deal. You could’ve died.”

“I wouldn’t ha-”

“Can you shut up for two bloody seconds?” Dewey sighed, and Alec went quiet, pulling his hand from Dewey’s grip, and sliding it through his curls. Dewey pinched the bridge of his nose, scooting his chair closer to the edge of Alec’s bed. “You scared me.”

“I know.”

“No,  _ you don’t _ .” He insisted, leaning closer to Alec as the detective’s hand slid back to his cheek, his thumb tracing over the scar under Dewey’s eye.

Dewey visibly tensed for a moment, before slowly relaxing, taking Alec’s hand, and turning his head to press a kiss to his palm.

“You’re deflecting, Alec.”

“Didn’t say anything.”

“Trying to distract me, you are.” Dewey mumbled. “Bastard.”

“ _ Dewey _ .”

“Now you’re calling me  _ Dewey _ .” He huffed, sticking out his tongue. “Let me sulk for a moment without givin’ me butterflies. I need to sulk. I’ve had a long day.”

“Oh, you’ve had a long day, ‘ave ya?”

“Well apparently this is just an average day in the life of Alec Hardy.” Dewey teased, standing up, and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Honestly. Get some rest. Miller tells me you’re quite the escape artist.”

“Christ, you didn’t call her did y--”

“I need to piss!” Dewey called back, rushing toward the door. “If she comes in here and kicks your arse, that’s completely unrelated to me!” 

Ellie did, in fact, show up, and lecture Alec, while Dewey sat in his chair and munched on the small pile of snacks he had acquired from the vending machine. Even so, Alec managed to sneak his way out of the hospital, anyway, when Dewey left to feed his dogs. He was sure he’d get an earful about it in the morning, but he could cross that bridge when he got to it.

The rest of the week was uneventful--Dewey seemed busy with some case, while Miller made it very,  _ very  _ clear he could and should spend the week at home recovering, that she could handle the case without him (he didn’t, of course). Eventually, though, Friday rolled around, and before he could even let his anxious mind get the best of him and make him cancel--Dewey had sent him a text informing him he had just pulled up to the station.

He wasn’t in his normal car, though, no. The car Dewey usually drove to the courthouse was--well, it was  _ nice _ . Some kind of luxury car that Alec had never heard the name of before, but he could tell it was expensive based on the...everything about it. This time, though, Dewey pulled up in what Alec could only describe as, in the nicest way possible, a very suspicious looking white van.

Alec stared at the van for a long moment, contemplating why Dewey would even need such a big, ugly van.

Until the door opened. 

Dewey stepped out, dressed in jeans and a gray sweater that both seemed just as perfectly tailored as his suits. But that wasn’t a thing, right? People didn’t get  _ sweaters  _ tailored, did they?

Alec suddenly felt slightly self conscious about the suit that was a size too big, and the fact that it was one of only three that he owned--whereas he still hadn’t seen Dewey repeat a single article of clothing in the months that he’d known him.

God. Had it been months already?

But that had nothing to do with the van. No, the van was, Alec had learned, there because Dewey hadn’t come alone. As soon as the barrister stepped out of the car, a great dane bumbled its way into the front seat where Dewey had been sitting, while the chihuahua from the pier had popped its head up from the passenger seat, yapping excitedly.

“You brought the whole crew.” Alec deadpanned, as Dewey laughed, half-jogging over to him, and pulling him into a sweet kiss--the tenderness of which completely caught him off guard for a moment, leaving him staring like a deer in headlights when Dewey pulled back.

“Oh--well, I got back a little earlier than anticipated, so...went to the dog park for a bit. Was on the way to drop these guys back at home, and you were on the way. Wanted to make sure you weren’t overworking yourself. And I thought I’d give you a ride, since I know Miller’s been driving you. If you don’t mind the extra stop, that is.”

Alec shrugged slightly, before turning back into the station to grab his things. Ellie actually seemed  _ relieved  _ when he said he was going before the sun had completely set. 

“You got room for me in there?” Alec joked as he stepped back outside, but Dewey rolled his eyes, and marched over to the passenger door, pulling it open, and scooping up the chihuahua into his arms.

“You can share a seat with Cati.” Dewey said, holding up the chihuahua. “She’s not normally so sweet. But she’s really taken to you, she has. Look how excited she is.” 

Alec hesitantly accepted the dog Dewey handed off to him, holding her up to his face. “You’re cute.” He said softly.

Dewey grabbed Alec’s bag from him, and placed a hand on the small of his back, guiding him over to the car, before nodding back toward the station. “You all set, then?”

Alec hummed a confirmation, before getting into the car. Dewey shut the door behind them, and then climbed into the driver’s seat, plopping Alec’s bag down in the backseat.

“You haven’t properly been acquainted.” Dewey said as he pulled his seatbelt on. “You know Cati, obviously, you’re certainly best friends by now. Non is the bulldog--she’s deaf, so don’t mind if she seems to be ignoring you. The great dane is Eirlys--she’s a real sweetheart, she is. Thinks she’s still a lapdog most days. And then the boys--” He turned in his seat to gesture to the two dogs sitting in the back. “Telor’s the scrappy lookin’ mutt. But he’s actually the shy one of the bunch. Doesn’t like to get into any trouble. And Bedo--he’s a...boxer lab mix, I think they said.”

“What’s that pink thing?” Alec mumbled, glancing back at Bedo as Dewey started the car, and pulled out of the lot.

“Prosthetic. Had some kinda infection before I got ‘im. He was so depressed, but once we got that thing on him, it was like he was a new pup. He can keep up with Telor pretty well--has some trouble with Eirlys, at times. But she’s so big. Hard for any of ‘em to keep up with her.”

“So you--are they pound pups?”

“For the most part.” Dewey mumbled, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. “All except--Non was--I got her from--well, an ex’s sister. Stole her after I left him. It was justified though,  _ I swear _ .”

“Wait,  _ what _ ?” Alec sat up, staring at him. “You  _ stole  _ her?”

“ _ Justifiably so _ .” Dewey insisted. “I knew he’d move in with his sister after I left him, and I didn’t--I couldn’t have  _ her  _ in the same house as  _ him _ .”

Alec stared at Dewey for another long moment, until Dewey chanced a small glance at him, and Alec’s eye caught the scar under Dewey’s eye once again.

“Did he…” Alec hesitated. “Under your eye, you--”

“Yeah.” Dewey whispered.

Alec’s gaze shifted back to the dog in his lap, trying to ignore the anger that was bubbling up in his chest.

_ Mind your heart. _

“And your lip? Your hands?”

“Not my hands.” Dewey swallowed. “That was quite honestly just my...brilliant attempt at skateboarding.” He forced a chuckle, “No need to overthink it, love. He’s long gone from my life now.”

“Dewey-”

“Is that a regular thing now?” Dewey asked, eyes dead set on the road ahead of them. “I don’t even need to look at you to know you’ve got that bloody  _ sweet  _ face again. I don’t know that I can take it. Too used to you being a right arse, you know?”

There was a long pause, before he spoke again,

“I’m fine, now. Really. I’m...happy.” He glanced at Alec briefly. “Happier than I’ve been in a long while. I’d rather not dwell on things that don’t matter to me anymore.”

Alec nodded slowly, reaching over to place his hand on top of Dewey’s, grinning to himself when Dewey brought Alec’s hand up to kiss, before letting both their joined hands rest on the space between their seats.

They got to Dewey’s house in a comfortable silence, with Dewey flinging the back door of the van open, and the parade of dogs marching out, in what Alec could only describe as an organized chaos. Much like Dewey himself, if he was being honest.

Dewey picked the chihuahua out of Alec’s arms, and scurried over to the door, which he unlocked and nudged open, whistling low as the dogs hurried inside.

He ran inside for a moment, before hurrying back out, and locking the door behind him.

“So. Yours?” Dewey hummed, as Alec shrugged, hopping back into the van, with Dewey quickly following.

“Quite alright, love?” He asked softly, as Alec felt his heart stir in his chest.

“Yeah.” Alec said quietly, leaning over to kiss the barrister. “I’m startin’ to be.”

**Author's Note:**

> hi i hope you like my dumb boy.
> 
> im @tomotens on twitter and uhhh that's all goodbye.


End file.
